Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune

Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune was produced by the studio Arect and released as a six-episode original net animation on Netflix in May 2023. Based on the military science fiction light novel series written by Carlo Zen, the story follows Akira Ihinose, a young recruit who joins an orbital infantry unit tasked with suppressing a rebellion on a futuristic, colonized Earth. The narrative functions as a gritty deconstruction of space-faring military tropes, focusing on the bleak realities of geopolitical power struggles.

The animation design emphasizes a functional, industrial aesthetic intended to ground the high-concept science fiction in a cynical, bureaucratic reality. The series was directed by Hideki Anbo, who utilized the ONA format to capture the sharp, dialogue-heavy tone of Zen’s source material. Upon its release, it was noted for its focus on political maneuvering and the socioeconomic disparities of its world, distinguishing it from more idealistic space operas of the era.